From On-Chain Transparency to Organisational Accountability: A Conceptual Framework for Blockchain-Enabled Reporting

Introduction: Blockchain-enabled reporting is often assumed to strengthen organisational accountability because distributed ledgers make transactions visible, traceable, and resistant to retrospective alteration. This assumption overlooks a central distinction: a technically transparent record does not necessarily identify responsible actors, establish economic substance, explain organisational decisions, or support enforceable consequences. This study examines how blockchain evidence is converted into organisational accountability.

Methods: The study adopts a qualitative theory-building design based on integrative conceptual analysis. It synthesises research on organisational transparency, accountability, information asymmetry, institutional theory, auditability, and blockchain-enabled reporting. Through iterative comparison and conceptual coding, the analysis distinguishes the evidential properties of distributed ledgers from the institutional conditions required for answerability, contestation, and sanction.

Results: The study develops a four-stage accountability conversion framework comprising data visibility, data verifiability, interpretability, and accountability. It introduces the ledger accountability gap, defined as the distance between cryptographically supported evidence and institutionally enforceable responsibility, and accountability conversion capacity, defined as the organisational and field-level ability to connect ledger records with identities, accounting meanings, governance processes, legal obligations, and credible assurance. Six theoretical propositions specify how disclosure relevance, data origination controls, semantic interpretation, role attribution, contestation rights, and assurance scope shape accountability outcomes.

Conclusions: Blockchain transparency should be treated as an evidential input rather than as accountability itself. Organisational accountability emerges only when visible and verifiable records become interpretable, attributable, challengeable, and consequential. The framework extends transparency and accountability theory, clarifies the changing role of assurance, and provides a foundation for qualitative studies of blockchain reporting, tokenised assets, and distributed governance.